St. Edmund goalie Dena Cronen wasn’t feeling confident when the diocesan championship game headed to a shootout.
The senior isn’t a regular at practice, as she spends a bulk of her free time working as a cashier at a local Waldbaums to help earn money for college.
But Cronen’s teammates believed she could save the day.
“I had all my faith in her,” junior Maura Bellone said. “I knew she was going to do this.”
Cronen didn’t let Bellone and her team down. She made three straight saves during the shootout to ensure the Eagles’ second-straight Brooklyn-Queens Division II girls’ soccer title, 3–1, in penalty kicks after a 1–1 score through two overtimes at Aviator Sports Complex last Saturday.
Cronen made full diving stops on shots by Bridget O’Sullivan and Christine Heyer on Kearney’s final two attempts.
“It wasn’t until the third save that I was smiling and felt happy about it,” said Cronen, who was lifted up on her teammates shoulders. “It felt totally awesome.”
She set the stage for Bellone after Kelly Doyle and Katie Sammon had scored in the shootout. Bellone didn’t miss her chance as he scored to the top left corner to seal the victory.
Cronen feels the team’s second-straight crown has even more significance than last season’s championship.
“It’s more serious that we won two,” Cronen said. “It just proves something. We are here to stay.”
St. Edmund (12–0–0) overcame adversity to do so. It lost senior Anfisia Gordeev, one of its best players and scorers, to an ACL tear a week before the title game. Numerous other players were banged up. Kellie O’Neil has been battling the flu, but scored to get the Eagles a 1–0 lead in the 8th minute.
“We were hurting,” St. Edmund coach Cathy Blundell said. “I was saying thank goodness it’s the last game. I don’t think this team could go much further.”
Her team was pushed to limit as Kearney (9–3–0) rallied early in the second half. Amanda Patter hustled to a ball in the box and lofted it just over the hands of a leaping Cronen in the 52nd minute to tie the score at 1–1. It remained that way through the overtimes.
Kearney coach Charlie Candela was proud if his team, which moved down from Division I this season. He felt people didn’t think his club would get to the title game and play as well as it did against the defending champs.
“It’s a great feeling for them to be here,” Candela said. “They really fought.”
Cronen didn’t disappoint either with the title on the line and tension high. She gave her team plenty to celebrate.
“My heart was in my throat,” Blundell said. “But in the long run she pulled it out.”
